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The League of Cain
Pirates have been a problem since there were boats, and with a world so reliant on bulk trade and the vastness of the Great Ocean, now more than ever they stalk the seas with impunity. Until now, though, the pirates have been disparate bands of cutthroats and vagabonds, each ship a nation unto itself and at constant war with every other pirate on the high seas. Cain changed all that. Stories of Cain run the gamut from the fanciful to the outright ridiculous. His true abilities and origins are mysteries, but some details have been confirmed as fact. Cain was the son of a human sailor who took up the profession himself at a young age. Some stories say he was already a seasoned sailor when he first set foot on deck, a child prodigy destined to rule the seas. Other stories say he was hopeless, unable to learn the most basic of knots and riggings, and that only his quick wit and quicker tongue were able to save him from being lashed to ribbons by angry bosuns. Regardless, he did not quickly rise through the ranks of his first few vessels, being relegated to just a spare deckhand. It was a voyage across the Great Ocean that strayed too near the notorious Green Isles that his ship was attacked by the Pirate Jerod Lerroc. Lerroc took Cain as a prisoner, likely to be sold to the slave trade in the Green Isles. Lerroc was known as a compulsive gambler who often wasted his spoils on dice and card games in the taverns of the Green Isles, so much so that his first mate had to be the one to handle the ships money and pay the crew before the captain was allowed to touch a copper of it. While they were journeying, Cain got into a game of chance with Lerroc, likely the captain’s giving the young boy a chance to earn his freedom. It isn’t known exactly how, but Cain managed to convince Lerroc to put his captaincy on the line with the odds so heavily in his favor that Cain was all but sure to lose. Needless to say, Cain won, and took possession of his first ship. By the time the ship had made it to the Isles, Cain had won the trust and even admiration of the entire crew. When they set sail again Lerroc was Cain’s first mate, and seemed to harbor no ill-will to the child who had taken his place. Over the next decade Cain began an ambitious plan of conquest, not of nations but of his fellow pirates. One by one at first, and then in increasing numbers he either captured or sank the pirates who would not join him willingly. As he grew into manhood his legend grew with him, as well as his skills in leadership. Soon the League of Cain became the bogeyman of the seas, his name a watchword that chilled the bones of any sailor. Any attempt to stop him was met with failure. It was during this time that some of the stories of Cain’s mystical powers grew, as he seemed able to make crews disappear at will, and ships sprout fire and holes with a look. Now there are few pirates in the Great Ocean not sailing under Cain’s banner, and it seems he has even greater ambitions than these, though what they are none can say. The League operates as a military fleet. Each ship captain has their place within the hierarchy of captains, with the top rung being the Pirate Lords, ruling the seas under Cain, the Pirate King himself. Captains of higher rank can replace those of lower rank, and captains themselves choose their officers and crew. Generally each captain is given a territory to patrol and raid, but Cain himself decides these territories and ranking doesn’t grantee a prime spots. A portion of every take goes to the League coffers, and any captain found to be shirking is executed publicly and messily. Cain uses Sending spells to transmit information and messages between captains, and also has methods of communicating directly with his subordinates. He travels freely through every territory himself on his ship the Depthrazer, a mysterious black vessel that can appear out of nowhere at a moment’s notice. Sometimes he brings several captains and their ships together for a more ambitious project, something he’s been doing more often of late. The entire organization is held together by Cain’s charismatic leadership. He inspires great loyalty in people, sometimes to the point of fanaticism, and while many people see this as the weak point in the pirate fleet, the Pirate King has thus far proved too strong an opponent to best either in personal combat or on the open seas. Whatever the purpose of the League may be, the truth of it lies with him and his Pirate Lords, and no other. Category:World Powers